Register gauge



Jan. 13, 1942. L, Q SPARKS 2,270,145

` REGISTER GAUGE Filed Feb. 19, 1940 J5 J5 3 F910.

l. NVENTOR mmyfm@ /23 L9 AITTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE REGISTER GAUGE Leslie C. Sparks, Galva, Ill.

Application February 19, 1940, Serial No. 319,764

(Cl. lOl-414) 3 Claims.

My invention relates to automatically operated register-gauges for printing presses and more particularly to the general type' disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 674,532, dated May 21, 1901.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a register-gauge so constructed and arranged to cause an accurate registration of the sheet without requiring precise manual adjustment thereof, thus permitting a printing press to be operated at a materially greater rate of speed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a gauge of the above described character which is simple in construction, durable in use, ecient in operation and economical in manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gauge of the above described character capable of being readily attached to the tympan and occupying no more space than the ordinary side pins now in use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, appended claims and annexed drawing.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention as applied to a tympan secured on the platen of a printing press.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of my invention and illustrating the same in pre-impression position.

Figure 3 is another top plan view thereof but illustrating the invention in impression position.

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view'taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the plate.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the guide arm.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the adjustable nger.

Figure 1D is a diagrammatic end elevation of my invention and illustrating the various positions of the guide element with respect to a sheet of paper irregularly fed onto the tympan.

In practicing my invention I provide a base plate I5 having what I term outer and inner sides Il and I8 respectively. The outer side II is fashioned with a slot I9 in which is disposed a tongue 2l), the latter having its inner end formed structurally integral with the plate. The outer end of the tongue 20 is disposed an appreciable distance beyond the outer side I'I of the plate I5 and terminates in a slightly acclivous cuspidated portion 2l for insertion through a tympan 22 secured on the platen 23 of a flat bed printing press 24. When the tongue 20 is disposed through the tympan and between the under face of the latter and the upper face of the platen 23, the under face of the plate I5 is disposed in appressed relation with the upper face of the tympan 22. The inner side of the plate I5 is fashioned with a recess I8a having disposed therein an arcuate tooth IBb which penetrates the tympan and coacts with the tongue 20 to maintain the plate in fixed position with respect to said tympan. The tympan 22 is secured in appressed relation with the platen 23 by means of the usual bails, one of which is depicted at 25 in Figure 1 of the drawing.

Mounted on the plate I5 adjacent its inner side I8 is an elongated block 26 disposed lengthwise with respect to the plate. One end of the block 26 is of a T-shaped configuration dening oppositely extending sections 21 and 28 respectively overlying and spaced from the upper face of the plate I5 as clearly illustrated in Figures 1 and 6 of the drawing. The opposite end of the block adjacent the inner side I8 is recessed to accommodate therein the arcuate end 29 of a guide arm 30, the latter being normally disposed between the section 28 and the upper face of the plate I5 and in engagement with the vertical section of the block forming the T-shaped configuration as depicted in Figure 6 of the drawing. The arcuate end 29 of the arm 3|] is pivotally connected to the plate by means of a pin 3I or the like.

The T-shaped end portion of the block is fashioned with a transversely disposed slot 32 in which is disposed an operating arm 33, the inner end of the latter being pivotally connected to the block 2S through the medium of a pivot pin 34 extending lengthwise through the section 28 as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing. Said inner end of the arm 33 is fashioned with a depending toe 35, the latter having a curved end portion engaging the guide arm 30 for effecting outward movement of the guide arm with respect to the plate I5 as hereinafter more fully described. The opposite end of the arm 33 is subjacently offset with respect to the pivoted end to form a seat 36 for slidably accommodating thereon one of the gripper arms 31 of the press.

The opposite end of the guide arm 30 is fashioned with a right angularly disposed elongated head 38, the latter being formed with a corner portion extending beyond the outer side face of the guide arm 3U and constituting a guide element 39 having an arcuate-shaped end for engagement with the edge of a sheet of paper or the like disposed on the tympan whereby to effect proper positioning of the paper when the same is irregularly fed thereon and which is hereinafter more fully described.

The opposite end of the head is provided with a transversely disposed opening in which is slidably arranged one end of a coil spring 40 overlying the plate and having its opposite end disposed in a transverse opening formed in the block 26 as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. The spring 4B serves to maintain the guide arm 30 and head 38 in retracted or pre-impression position with respect to the plate.

The tympan has connected thereto paper guides, one of which is depicted at 4| for engaging the lower edges of sheets of paper fed onto the tympan in the usual manner.

In use, the parts being arranged in the position illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4 of the drawing, a sheet of paper is manually fed onto the tympan and the lower edge thereof disposed against or adjacent the guides M and with one side edge disposed against or in proximity to the guide element 39, depending upon whether the sheet of paper is regularly or irregularly fed. Relative movement of the bed 23 with respect to the form carried by the press serves to cause the gripper arm 31 to engage the outer end of the operating arm 33 and actuate the same down-` wardly towards the plate i to eifect disposition .of the gripper arm 31 onto the seat 36.

When the actuating arm 33 is thus operated the toe 35 thereof serves to pivot the guide arm 30 outwardly with respect to the plate l5 and causes the guide element 3S to engage the adjacent side edge of the paper and move the paper into proper position on the tympan for receiving the impression from the form. As illustrated in Figure 1D of the drawing when the paper is regularly fed onto the tympan, the side edge of the paper is usually disposed in spaced relation with respect to the pre-impression position of the guide element whence the paper is moved by said element into impression position.

'I'he head 3B is formed with a lengthwise extending dove-tailed slot l2 adjustably receiving therein a similar shaped end section of a finger 53, the opposite end section of which is adapted to extend beyond the guide element and overlie the sheet of paper on the tympan to preclude retraction of the sheet by the form upon impression thereby.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specic construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in advance forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a register gauge for printing presses, a base plate, a feed arm having one end pivotally connected with the base plate and movable parallel with the plate, a stop on the base for limiting the retracted movement of the feed arm, a grooved head iixed on the free end of the arm and movable arcuately therewith, a finger adjustably attached to the said head, a spring secured on the base and connected with the head for yieldingly urging the head to a retracted position, an operating arm having one end pivotally connected with the base and movable in a plane at right angles thereto, and a projection formed on the operating arm engageable with the intermediate portion of the feed arm to swing the feed head to an extended sheet feeding position when the operating arm is depressed.

2. In a register gauge, a base plate having a stop member thereon, a feed arm pivotally connected with the base plate, a sheet engaging feed head mounted on the free end of the arml a spring attached to the stop member and connected with the head of the arm to yieldingly urge the arm to a retracted position against the stop, an operating arm pivotally connected to the stop for movement in a plane perpendicular to the plane of movement of the feed arm, and an nog angular projection on the operating arm disposed to bear against the intermediate portion of the feed arm to swing the latter to projected position when the operating arm is depressed.

3. In a device of the character described, a

mbase plate having a stop block formed on the inner margin thereof, a feed arm having one end pivotally connected with an end portion of the base plate, a grooved head formed transversely on the free end of the said arm, a guide nger slidably fitted in the grooved head and projecting therefrom, means for securing the guide finger in selectively adjusted position on the head, a spring yieldingly holding the feed arm in retracted position against the stop block, an operating arm pivotally connected to the stop block and movable in a plane perpendicular to the plane of movement -of the feed arm, and an angular projection formed on the operating arm bearing against the intermediate portion of the feed arm whereby to swing the latter to extended operative position when the operating arm is depressed.

LESLIE C. SPARKS. 

